


Snake in the Garden

by killjoywhatsername



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Head Girl Hermione Granger, Manipulative Tom Riddle, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Battle of Hogwarts, Teenage Tom Riddle, honestly is tom anything but manipulative
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-21
Updated: 2018-06-21
Packaged: 2019-05-26 08:35:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14996984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/killjoywhatsername/pseuds/killjoywhatsername
Summary: After the Battle of Hogwarts Hermione returns to Hogwarts to finish her seventh year and take her NEWTs. Hermione is looking forward to the only stress of the year coming from her studies and constant near death experiences.Enter, a new transfer student to  Hogwarts. A very handsome boy who might be more than meets the eye.





	Snake in the Garden

**Author's Note:**

> My first HP fic, bear with me. The events of CoS never happened. No one knows who Tom Riddle looks like not Slughorn or McGonagall, no one. 
> 
> This chapter is short because it was pestering me to be written and published.

“RAVENCLAW!’ The Sorting Hat shouted as cheers from the Ravenclaw table erupted and polite clapter from the other houses were heard throughout the room. The first year girl stepped away from the hat and went to join her new house.

Hermione watched with fondness as she sat at the Gryffindor table next to Ginny and Neville.It seemed like ages ago that her, Harry, and Ron were all sorted in Gryffindor. Now, she was sitting at the Gryffindor table, beginning her seventh year, without them. 

Her two friends were offered positions of Aurors right after the war, the fact that they did not take their NEWTs was waived. She was offered a position too, but in the Ministry. She chose to go back to school, much to the bafflement of the two boys. 

Much like how she didn’t understand why the would want to continue to fight after the horrendous year they had, they didn’t understand why she want to go back to Hogwarts when they had just been through so much. Surely, school seemed trivial when you just finished fighting a war. 

Harry understood the best, understanding the need for normalcy after such a year. Ron was the more difficult of the two to talk to. Her and him tried their hand at romance, but ultimately decided it wasn’t for them. They both agreed they were better off as friends and with her going back to school, and him going off to train as an Auror, they decided to end their relationship swiftly. 

The thing was, she wanted to learn as much as possible before she graduated to work. Not just that, but she wanted to know what a year at Hogwarts would be like without the constant threat of death looming over her like she had every year since she started. 

This year was going to be more relaxed. She could be more self-indulgent in her learning instead of having to stay up late researching tasks for the Triwizard Tournament. Really, her adventures with Harry and Ron benefited her learning in ways that she’d never forget, but again, she would’ve liked to learn those things without threat of death.

Besides, one of the good things to come out of the war was that blood politics was at a low at Hogwarts. Between McGonagall being Headmistress, Slughorn being a much more fair Professor than Snape, and the overall shift of attitude towards purebloods after the war, there was not much tolerance for remarks or actions against Muggleborns. 

Still, she couldn’t help feel a bit lost without her two companions. It wasn’t even just those two. A lot of the seventh years decided to take the year off or homeschool as a result of torment they’ve been through for the past year. Hermione’s already small class size was even smaller. 

Hermione watched as the rest of sorting continued. Eight more Hufflepuffs, six more Ravenclaws, five more Gryffindors, and two more Slytherins. There were only seven or so students left to sort.

“Not many Slytherins this year.” Ginny said, nudging Hermione and snapping her out of her thoughts. The redhead was more or less herself these days, slowly but surely moving past the loss of Fred. 

“I didn’t think we would. Most of those old money families are sending their kids to Durmstrang.” Hermione replied. It was true, many of the families did not like the pro-muggle wave of change that was taking over the Ministry, and Hogwarts, after the defeat of Voldemort. 

“The less Slytherins the better.” Ginny said definitely. Hermione gave a small smile. 

As Head Girl she told herself she would be impartial and fair to all the houses, but she’d be lying if she said she didn’t harbor any ill will towards Slytherin. The vast majority of them that she had met throughout her short life had been nothing but awful. 

They watched as the last of the first years had been sorted. More cheers and applause from the students as the final first year, a shy looking boy with sandy hair, was announced as a Hufflepuff. 

“Finally, I’m starved.” Neville said, sitting to her right.

They all expected McGonagall to make a few remarks and to open the feast much like Dumbledore had always done. The Great Hall was still loud with everyone talking to each other and welcoming the first years. 

“Silence, please,” She said in a loud, commanding voice. Everyone quieted down, all presumably wanting to get on with the feast, “There is one more person to be sorted. This young man has comes to us from Ilvermorny, he will be finishing out his seventh year with us. We are very honored to have him. Travis Ridley, please come up here.” She called and a young man around Hermione’s age, soon joined her near the Sorting Hat.

“I hope he’s in Gryffindor.” Ginny said with a sly grin. 

Hermione gave her a disapproving, “And what would Harry say about that?”

Ginny rolled her eyes and laughed, “One look at Travis and he’d want him too.”

“Hell, if I had a chance with him I wouldn’t hesitate.” Neville said flippantly. Both Hermione and Ginny just grinned at him. His cheeks blushed red as Ginny clapped him on his back. “I didn’t mean to say that out loud.” He muttered.

“It’s okay, Neville. We get it.” Hermione said. 

She looked back at the boy who now had the Sorting Hat on his head. He looked nervous, but she guessed that was to be expected. She herself would never want to go through the Sorting ceremony again, let alone now as a seventeen year old. He was very handsome. She didn’t have much to compare him to besides Victor, but whereas Victor’s beauty came from his muscle and brawn, Travis was lean and tall. He had messy black hair that reminded her a bit of Harry, but she could already tell this boy used some product in his hair. His cheekbones looked like they could cut glass and were sculpted by some higher being. 

“Don’t you find it odd he’s joining us now? Seventh year? Why not just stick to Ilvermorny?” A fifth year boy cut in. 

Hermione had to agree. The Wizarding world of Britain was recovering far better than most thought possible after the events with Voldemort, but she didn’t understand why a foreigner would want to attend Hogwarts so soon after the battle.

“I’m sure he has a good reason.” Ginny said and just then the Sorting Hat’s voice boomed with its decision. 

“GRYFFINDOR” 

The Gryffindor table shouted with cheers. The boy took the hat off, shook McGonagall's hand and made his way to other end of the Gryffindor table.

Ginny nudged her with her elbow, “As Head Girl are going to show him around? I feel like you have to. You can’t just lump him in with the first years.”

Hermione shook her head with a laugh. “Of course I will show him around, but don’t expect it to be any more than that, Gin. I want to focus on my studies this year.”

“When do you do focus on anything else?” She said. 

Just then McGonagall began speaking again. This time with her actual opening remarks. It was more or less the same as the previous years. The Forbidden Forest was forbidden to students, a corridor on the fourth floor was closed, and there was a new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. A man named Huxley was to be their new professor. Professor Hux looked to be in his mid-thirties. He had red hair much like Ginny’s that was gelled back. He looked like an unpleasant man, but that might just be because his facial expression looked liked he smelled something rotten. Either way, Hermione hoped for the students’, and Professor Huxley’s, sake that with Voldemort gone, the DADA position was no longer cursed. 

“And with those few notes out of the way, let the feast begin!” McGonagall said with a big smile as the decorations in the Great Hall changed and the food appeared in front of the students.

Yes, it really felt like Hogwarts was home once again, Hermione thought as she put took some pudding into a bowl for herself.

She glanced down the table and looked at Ridley some more. He really was far too good looking, it almost wasn’t fair. It was then that he looked up and made eye contact with her, much to her chagrin. She looked away quickly, but then realized how silly she was being and looked back. This time he was smiling at her as if he knew something that she didn’t.


End file.
